A Wrinkle in Time Review

PG: thematic elements and some peril

Disney

1 Hr and 49 Minutes

Dir: Ava Duvernay | Writers: Jennifer Lee, Jeff Stockwell

Cast: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Peña, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Pine, Levi Miller, Deric McCabe

INTRO: Note to self,

Don’t hype yourself up for a movie that you knew deep down was going to be bad. Don’t give it the benefit of the doubt because of the names attached to the project. Thanks Ava Duvernay, you taught me a valuable lesson.

Following the discovery of a new form of space travel as well as Meg's father's disappearance, she, her brother, and her friend must join three magical beings - Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which - to travel across the universe to rescue him from a terrible evil.

THE GOOD

I guess some of the worlds look visually pretty and the costume/makeup are good.  In actuality, the only time I was invested in this movie was when a crazy twist is revealed which allowed a certain actor to go nuts. Other than that, I got nothing good to say.

THE BAD

Every year around March, Disney drops some fantasy CG Spectacle movie to kick off their year with. For the past several years each one of their March releases have been nothing but decent films. They kick the door wide open with their fantasy films. Now instead of kicking that door with “A Wrinkle in Time,” they pretty much the shit the bed.

With a film whose characters are named Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Whatsit, the only character I wanted to be added in this movie was Mrs. Why to explain to me WHY DOES NONE OF THIS STORY MAKE ANY SENSE?! 

This movie is the equivalent of a New York subway train derailing itself then ending up on the LIRR track but then somehow it derails itself again and ends up running on a Metro North track to Connecticut. Yeah that makes no sense and neither does this movie.

“A Wrinkle in Time” has to be the most incoherently incompetent Disney fantasy film I’ve ever seen since — EVER! I wanna say “Alice Through the Looking Glass” but at least there was a plot. There was a plot that made sense and motives were clear. No the existence of that film was hella unnecessary but there was something to latch onto. “Race to Witch Mountain,” “Tomorrowland,” “John Carter,” and  “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” are all big budgeted CG Disney movies that aren’t good. That said, at least those films had characters with clear motives, fun sequences of action, and most of all a story. There is at least some sort of thread that is present in those movies. Here, you have none of that. The moment I clocked out occurred once Reese Witherspoon transforms into a giant cabbage for absolutely no reason. Never was there a moment after was a scene of redemption to rekindle any interest I had.

The last time I felt so empty watching a big spectacle sci-fi mumbo fantasy film was “Jupiter Ascending.” I despise  "Jupiter Ascending" Just like “Jupiter Ascending,” there is barely of a structure of story, the generic plot makes no sense, and of course there is an actor who hams up all the scenery but isn’t good enough to be the saving grace. I can’t believe I’m defending “Jupiter Ascending” but as much as I can’t stand that film, they didn’t have any moments where any of the sequences played like a music video. There are a numerous amount of sequences where the film’s soundtrack plays similar to a goddamn “Twilight” movie where it diminishes any tension a scene would have.

Apparently the book was this crazy fantastical adventure where the nonsensical was logical. Duvernay and her writers took that story and applied the most basic use of the hero’s journey mixed the generic prophecy plot. Mix those things together and make the nonsensical elements JUST NONSENSICAL WITHOUT ANY REASON, then you have this mess. I’ve never seen a fantasy film be weird just to be weird in my life.

I understand why Disney moved up “Infinity War” . Don’t play coy Disney! You know you were going to lose money with this. Why in the actual hell did you not look over this and said, “Hey um we need to make sure this movie abides by the source material at least a little bit.” I’m not only hurt that Duvernay helmed this and achieved Josh Trank level of poor execution. Or how it features a diverse cast who are all sleepwalking mostly but yet we give it a pass because of how “diverse it is.” And mostly how one o f the two writers of this screenplay was Jennifer Lee who pretty much made “Frozen,” and co-wrote “Wreck-it Ralph.” The biggest issue I have with this movie is the same issue I have with the content you see on Netflix today: lack of supervision oversight.

Just like Netflix you have directors left with their own devices to make their movie as ambitious as they want but as long as they have a big budget. At least with Marvel movies, Kevin Feige has creative control over what their directors do. Even if they add their own distinctive flair to the  story, they maintain integrity. With the people at Disney’s animation division, they have John Lasseter (I mean not at the moment probably) who overlooked everything that was going on in both Disney Animation and Pixar. Now with Disney live action films, I believe there isn’t anyone at all and that is an issue because then you get jumbled messes like this and that is not a good look on both them and Hollywood.

LAST STATEMENT

With absolutely now consistency or coherence, “A Wrinkle in Time” is one of those movies that feels less like a movie but more of an excuse to market its own casting but has no substance whatsoever as an actual movie at all.

Rating: 1/5 | 23%

Damn when you & your little sisters all agree that a Disney movie which claims to be about individualism, or being yourself, but executes it so poorly, you know you messed up.

Super Scene: Charles Wallace spills some tea.